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Meet Joe Black (1998)
Directed by Martin Brest
In the film Meet Joe Black, Joe Black, portrayed by Brad Pitt, is the personification of Death who has come to take Bill Parrish, played by Anthony Hopkins. At Bill’s birthday party, amidst the fireworks, Bill faces Joe and asks if he should be afraid, to which Joe assures him otherwise. As they walk away, Susan, Bill’s daughter, chases after them but only Joe returns, now transformed back into the young man whose body he initially took over. This young man and Susan share a poignant moment, recalling their first meeting at a coffee shop and acknowledging their deep but nascent connection. They realize that despite knowing little about each other, they have time to build their relationship. They walk hand-in-hand back to the party, with fireworks lighting up the sky above them.
* * *
Joe Black, aka Death (Brad Pitt), is finally ready to take Bill Parrish (Anthony Hopkins), the father of the young woman — Susan (Claire Forlani) — with whom Death has fallen in love. More importantly, Bill is ready After a brief conversation at Bill’s birthday party, while fireworks crackle in the sky, the two turn and walk towards a bridge in Bill’s grounds. Bill stops, looks at Joe.
Bill: Should I be afraid?
Joe: Not a man like you.
They continue walking. Susan, watching from a distance, walks, then runs, after them. They disappear over the bridge. Susan watches.
Then, after a beat, Joe comes back, alone. But he’s clearly different. This is not Joe. This is the young man whose body Joe possessed, after his untimely death. The young man Susan fell in love with at a coffee shop at the beginning of the movie.
Susan runs up to him.
Susan: You’re here.
Not Joe: You bet.
Susan: Well, where did you go?
Not Joe: I don’t know. (He looks completely dumbfounded, then laughs) I… I don’t know, you know? I — It’s all kind of blurred-up and hazy, but… would you know what I mean if I said I don’t think I’ll ever figure it out? And now I’m back.
Susan: That’s it?
Not Joe: Well, I don’t know what else to say, you know? Looks like a hell of a party.
Susan: You think so?
Not Joe: You look beautiful. You know, when you disappeared around the corner, I wasn’t sure if I was ever gonna see you again.
Susan stops for a second, lost in thought.
Not Joe: Hey, are you alright?
Susan: The coffee shop.
Not Joe: Yeah. I asked you if I said something wrong, you said no, it was so right it scared you, and then you said… forgive me for saying this, but… it’s been with me ever since…
Susan: What has?
Not Joe: You said you liked me.
Susan: (Shaking her head) No.
Not Joe: You didn’t?
Susan: I said… I liked you so much.
They smile at each other.
Susan: Yeah. We know so little about each other.
Not Joe: (Smiling) But we’ve got time.
Susan nods. Tears in her eyes.
Susan: Yeah. (Pause) I wish you could have known my father.
Not Joe: Me too. Me too.
Susan: What do we do now?
Not Joe: (Smiling) It’ll come to us.
Susan: (Smiling and nodding) Yeah.
They take each other’s hand and turn to walk towards the party, as the fireworks explode and boom over their heads and the music swells.
